Standout wrestler Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza captured the title with a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over Australian prospect Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt, who stepped into the championship bout on short notice and put on a game performance in defeat.

The opening round of the fight played out as many had expected with Esparza (9-2) taking down Hyatt (4-2) and dominating the action with submission attempts and punches. Hyatt did not give up, however, and she made it to the end of the round. As Esparza began to slow down in the middle rounds, Hyatt had success with combinations on the feet. But Esparza kept her composure, and she took Hyatt down on numerous occasions.

Hyatt was still in the fight by Round 5 and actually seemed to be getting stronger as the bout progressed. Esparza scored two takedowns, but she was unable to mount much offense, and Hyatt battled back to her feet. She rushed forward with punches in the final 15 seconds, and Esparza tripped while backing up. Hyatt dove in with big shots that nearly earned her a last-second TKO victory, but time expired, and the fight went to the scorecards.

Despite Hyatt’s late rally, all three judges scored the fight 50-45 for Esparza, who has won six of her past seven fights and three straight under the Invicta FC banner. The 25-year-old Californian claimed the Invicta FC strawweight championship with the victory and is now just the second titleholder in the promotion’s short history.

Esparza spoke with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following the fight and admitted that she may have underestimated her less-experienced opponent in the days leading up to the event. By the start of Round 3, however, Esparza knew that she was in for a tough fight and was happy to have finally realized her dream of becoming a world champion.

Hyatt may have come up short in her bid for the title, but her performance has likely assured that she will have a long-term future with Invicta FC. She entered the main event title bout on just eight days’ notice after Esparza’s original opponent, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha, bowed out after suffering a broken nose in training. The fight with Esparza marked Hyatt’s North American MMA debut.

Teammates Davis, Smith and D’Alelio go 3-0

Saturday night was a good one for bantamweight teammates Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith and Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio. The Cesar Gracie Fight Team and Combat Sports Academy allies went a perfect 3-0 with a trio of impressive performances in featured matchups on the Invicta FC 4’s main card.

Davis (13-5) posted the biggest victory of her MMA career by choking out Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-8) in the night’s co-feature. Baszler eked out a razor-thin decision victory when the pair first met in March 2010, but Davis got a measure of revenge on Saturday.

Davis controlled much of the opening round on the ground and nearly finished the fight with an inverted heel hook shortly before the bell. Baszler took down Davis in Round 2, but Davis chained together submission attempts and moved from an omoplata to a toehold, then to a triangle choke and an armbar. Baszler defended well, but Davis was pressing the action. In the final round, Davis took advantage of a slip by hopping on Baszler’s back. She locked on a rear-naked choke, and Baszler was rendered unconscious at the 58-second mark.

Following the big win, Davis told MMAjunkie.com that she would welcome a future fight with UFC women’s bantamweight champion and part-time Cesar Gracie stablemate “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey if the opportunity presented itself. She also hopes to compete in the black belt division of this year’s BJJ world championships. The Davis-Baszler rematch was declared Invicta FC 4’s “Fight of the Night,” and both fighters pocketed an extra $1,500 for their performances.

Smith (5-2-1), meanwhile, engaged in a back-and-forth bout with former friend-turned-rival Raquel “Rocky” Pennington (3-3) and walked away with a well-deserved unanimous-decision win after three rounds. She remains unbeaten in three appearances for Invicta FC.

In the opening round, Smith played into her opponent’s game plan, and Pennington closed the distance to score a takedown. She threatened with a rear-naked choke on the ground and clearly took Round 1 on the scorecards. Smith changed things up in Round 2 and 3 and forced Pennington to come to her. She stood in the center of the cage and beckoned Pennington to walk forward on multiple occasions and then tagged her with punches and kicks.

Smith’s smart strategy paid off, and all three judges scored the bout 29-28 in her favor. She hopes to return to action at Invicta FC 5 in April against former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman, whom Smith originally was scheduled to face on Saturday’s card before Kaufman withdrew due to injury. Should the bout with Kaufman fail to materialize, Smith is also considering a move down to 125 pounds for her next fight.

Finally, D’Alelio (7-3) showcased her strong ground game in her bout with fellow Strikeforce veteran Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-3) en route to a lopsided unanimous-decision victory. D’Alelio smothered Nunes with stifling top control, and Nunes had little answer on the mat.

Save for a handful of punches on the feet, Nunes was never able to mount any offense during the fight, and D’Alelio kept her down on the ground at every opportunity. Nunes was deducted one point in Round 2 for an illegal upkick, which only further sealed her fate on the scorecards. The cageside judges each returned identical 30-26 scores for D’Alelio, who has won three of her four fights for Invicta FC and is one of the bantamweight division’s top prospects.

Gomes, Calderwood batter opponents at Invicta FC 4

Grappling specialist Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2) showed off her underrated striking skills in a convincing unanimous-decision win over Hiroko “Cat’s Eye” Yamanaka (12-3) on the Invicta FC 4 main card. Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Gomes, who won for the fourth straight time. Gomes’ hard punches broke Yamanaka’s orbital bone and left the Japanese standout in the hospital with a concussion.

Despite a last-minute opponent change, Scottish striking sensation Joanne Calderwood (5-0) easily kept her unbeaten record intact with a commanding unanimous-decision victory over Austria’s Livia “T-Rex” von Plettenberg (1-1). Calderwood picked apart von Plettenberg with vicious knees, punches and kicks throughout the three-round battle. Von Plettenberg held strong and refused to wilt under the pressure, but Calderwood’s striking dominance made it easy for the cageside judges to award her the victory with scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.

In the featured Invicta FC 4 prelim, “Sassy” Cassie Rodish (4-3) ran her winning streak to four with a third-round stoppage of Stephanie “Macaquinha” Frausto (4-5). The opening round was very close, but Rodish began to take control in the middle stanza, and she landed some big punches and knees to the body on the ground. In Round 3, Rodish used an armbar to roll into mount, and she unloaded with punches and elbows for the TKO victory at the 1:04 mark of the final round.

Tamikka “Boom Boom” Brents (2-0) spoiled the pro debut of Amanda “The Lady Killer” Bell (0-1) via unanimous decision in a featherweight matchup. Scores were 29-28 across the board for Brents, who kept Bell pinned on the ground in the opening 10 minutes. Bell rallied in the final round and scored with some solid knees on the feet, but it was too little, too late, and Brents was awarded a well-earned win.

Talented boxer Jodie Esquibel (3-0) remained undefeated with a close split-decision victory over “Lightning” Liz McCarthy (1-1). Esquibel outstruck her opponent in the opening round, but McCarthy began to find her range in Round 2, and the fighters engaged in a back-and-forth battle on the feet. McCarthy took down Esquibel midway through the final round and worked for a rear-naked choke until the final bell. She appeared to have done enough to win the fight, but two judges disagreed. Judge Derrick Boone saw the fight 29-28 for McCarthy while judge Henry Gueary had it 29-28 for Esquibel. In the deciding vote, judge Dave Clifton returned a bizarre 30-27 scorecard for Esquibel, whose hand was raised as a stunned McCarthy looked on.

While best known for her standup skills, it was Namajunas’ ground game that was on full display. In Round 1, she effortlessly transitioned from a triangle choke to a triangle armbar to a triangle kimura and had Kagan in all sorts of trouble on the mat. Kagan weathered the proverbial storm of submissions and had greater success in Round 2, but Namajunas kept her on the defensive.

After landing some hard knees in Round 3, Namajunas jumped on her opponent’s back and dragged her to the mat with a rear-naked choke that forced Kagan to submit at the 3:44 mark of the final round. The victory earned Namajunas “Submission of the Night” honors and an extra $1,000.

One of North America’s brightest female prospects, Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0), made it two-for-two inside the Invicta FC cage by handing 18-year-old “12 Gauge” Paige VanZant (2-1) the first defeat of her pro career in another key bout at 115 pounds.

From the outset, Torres was a step ahead of VanZant on the feet, and she mixed up her strikes well with punches, leg kicks and standing elbows. In Round 2, Torres trapped VanZant in a tight rear-naked choke. Just as in her pro debut against Jordan Nicole Gaza, VanZant refused to submit and somehow escaped the hold, but Torres stunned her with punches in the final round and cruised to the decision victory. Scores were 30-27 across the board for Torres, who has won all nine of her pro and amateur MMA bouts since her September 2011 debut.

Earlier in the night, featherweight knockout artist Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler (1-0) made quick work of fellow striker Katalina Malungahu (2-2). The fighters traded power punches for the first 70 seconds of the fight until Rothenhausler floored Malungahu with a devastating right cross for the KO victory at the 1:12 mark of the opening round. The swift win earned Rothenhausler a $1,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus.

Opening the card, local atomweight prospect “Fancy” Laura Sanko (1-0) kicked off her pro career in style with a second-round submission victory over Cassie “The Hulk” Robb (0-1). Robb scored takedowns in Round 1 and landed short punches and elbows from the top, but the momentum changed in Round 2, and Sanko reversed a takedown. She transitioned to Robb’s back and secured a rear-naked choke for the tap-out win at the 1:07 mark of Round 2.

Two title bouts on tap for Invicta FC 5 in April

Invicta FC atomweight champion Jessica Penne (10-1) will make the first defense of her title in the main event of Invicta FC 5 in April. An opponent has not yet been officially announced for the title tilt, but popular Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA fighter Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) is likely to be called upon to challenge for Penne’s 105-pound belt.

Both Honchak and Porto picked up one-sided unanimous-decision victories at Invicta FC 3 in October. Honchak outpointed Irish standout Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly while Porto dismantled veteran pound-for-pound leader Tara LaRosa. Honchak is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. Porto has won five of her past six.

Former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (15-2) also is expected to compete on the Invicta FC 5 card. An opponent has not yet been confirmed, but Leslie Smith is on the short list of potential foes.

Invicta FC 5 will take place on a date to be determined in April and will likely mark the promotion’s first foray outside of Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.

Fujii, Coenen earn key wins in Japan

In what may have been her final fight, Japanese superstar Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii (26-2) scored a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over final Valkyrie featherweight champion “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi (10-5-1) at Vale Tudo Japan 2012 on Dec. 24 in Tokyo. Scores were 20-18 thrice for Fujii, who rebounded from a contentious decision loss to Jessica Aguilar in May.

Fujii took the fight to the mat early in Round 1 and threatened with a rear-naked choke on the ground. She postured up with punches from the top and attempted an armbar in the final minute. Yamaguchi was aggressive with strikes in Round 2, but Fujii took her back down and landed elbows. Yamaguchi swept and dropped hard punches to the face of Fujii, and the fight ended with an exchange on the feet.

Yamaguchi’s late rally was not enough to steal back the two-round fight, and Fujii took home the well-deserved victory. She is expected to formally retire this year following a remarkable career spanning back to August 2004. Fujii began her MMA career with 22 straight wins – a feat surpassed only by Iowa’s John Strawn, who won his first 29 bouts.

On Dec. 31 in Saitama, Japan, former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Marloes “Rumina” Coenen (21-5) made a successful return to the Land of the Rising Sun by submitting Australia’s Fiona Muxlow (6-2) at “DREAM.18: Special NYE 2012.”

Coenen landed quick punches and body kicks early in the fight. She used a Thai clinch to pull Muxlow to the mat and took advantage of DREAM’s rules by landing knees to the head on the ground. Muxlow took top position in her opponent’s guard, but Coenen transitioned from an armbar to a triangle choke and back to the armbar.

Muxlow failed to stand and escape, but she quickly tapped out to the armbar at the 3:29 mark of Round 1. An impressive 15 of Coenen’s career wins have come by way of submission, and she will likely contend for the Invicta FC featherweight championship this year.

Kankaanpaa stays unbeaten, decisions Daly at Cage Warriors 51

Finland’s Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) capped off a strong 2012 campaign with a big victory over hometown favorite Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (13-5) on Dec. 31 at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin. Kankaanpaa took a unanimous-decision win with scores of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

Kankaanpaa scored takedowns in each of the first two rounds. She threatened with a brabo choke in Round 1 and used an omoplata to sweep into mount late in the middle frame. When not trying for submissions, Kankaanpaa stayed active on the ground with punches and elbows. Daly had success on the feet with knees in Round 3, but Kankaanpaa countered with punching combinations. All three judges sided with Kankaanpaa, who went 2-0-1 on the year with solid wins over Daly and Mei Yamaguchi.

Quick results

Jessy Rose (1-0) def. Mae-Lin Leow (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 2:17 mark of Round 3 at “Brace For War 18: Canberra” on Dec. 21 in Canberra, Australia. Rose made a successful pro debut in the action-packed fight after her planned bout at Brace For War 17 was scrapped. Leow has tasted defeat at each of the past two Brace For War events.

On the same Brace For War 18 card, Lana “The Black Mamba” Kate (1-1) def. Amy Adam (0-1) via split decision after three three-minute rounds. Kate debuted on the Brace For War 17 card in October and succumbed to a rear-naked choke from Helen Malone, but she notched her first pro victory with the hard-fought win over Adam.

Pannie “Banzai” Kianzad (3-0) def. Lina Akhtar Lansberg (0-1) via TKO (punches) in Round 3 at Trophy MMA 1 on Dec. 29 in Malmo, Sweden. Kianzad won all three of her fights, including two TKO triumphs in a four-week span in December, in 2012.

The Latest

In this week’s Trading Shots, Danny Downes and Ben Fowlkes look at Ronda Rousey’s 34-second victory over Bethe Correia at UFC 190 and try to put it into terms that capture the moment without getting swept away by it.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?